artsrichmond reviews
Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead
Richmond Shakespeare Society
Mary Wallace Theatre
4 February 2010
In Tom Stoppard’s breakthrough 1966 play a pair of characters from Hamlet occupy a kind of purgatory beyond the limits of the virtual world of Hamlet’s story. From time to time the remote juggernaut of Hamlet’s story rolls past them, among them, over them, picks them up for a bit of business, then deposits them in existential crisis and rolls on its way.
There are a couple of ways to approach this play; one is to focus on the lean philosophy, drop the doomed pair into a spotlighted void and let them fill it up with images, reflections and games. The other way is to exploit the endless theatrical quips and in-jokes, to set the play in the wings of some ostensible production and emphasise the glorious savvy campness of it all.
Matt Beresford’s production tends towards the latter; reversed flats hint at a ‘real’ onstage world just beyond, doublet and hose are compulsory; there are plenty of hats, many of them feathery. The setting is papered with hand written notes, the scenes shaped by wheeled three-sided skenes.
Patrick Toms and Ben Collingwood Best give strong, detailed performances as a pair of doomed clowns, roles that present contradictory challenges for both actors and director. The cyclical nature of the action must be resolved without repetition; reflective engagement must be achieved without any inner life through which to reflect. Performances must be vocally precise, spontaneous, energetic and funny. Patrick and Ben are well-balanced, distinct and funny and bring plenty of spontaneity to the roles.
Derek Stringer’s Player was also an excellent, if unorthodox turn, slightly more sinuous and apparition-like than actorly; he could easily be imagined as the kind of West End impresario with whom you’d only do business at your peril.
The Mary Wallace Theatre offers a compact stage; I was not convinced that taking a couple of feet off each side with flats and filling it with wheeled structures was the best use of the space. The busy-ness of the stage restricted Matt’s options for creating clearly differentiated ‘living groups’ of characters. The actors troupe, for example, seemed to be made up largely of prop forwards of similar height and build (sorry lads, no hard feelings, eh?) with little choice other than to stand in a line. That said there were some very inventive moments, a large conjuring trick with barrels, and an energetically staged sword fighting routine from the principals, both very well achieved. The staging lacked easy consistency, however; the ultimate purpose of this play is to create a sense of pathos, and even occasionally clunky staging will tend to have a cost on the viewer’s engagement with the emotional line of the work.
Strong support was provided by the Hamlet company; Toby Osmond was a foppish Hamlet, Rick Morris assured and clear as Claudius, Michael Daly and Polly Beauwin excellent as Polonius and Gertrude.
This was a bold project that has hopefully done good business for Richmond Shakespeare Society. It appears to be Matt’s first production as a director at RSS, and while I think there are some staging issues with it, I very much look forward to seeing what he does next.
Chris Burton
Something's Afoot
Teddington Theatre Club
Hampton Hill Playhouse
5 February 2010
Brief notes on a most enjoyable show from an overworked Reviewer , who has no time to put her thoughts into deathless prose! (If anybody else would like to have a go at reviewing this excellent show, please contact artsrichmond via the website)
Background – a musical spoof on the Agatha Christie murder mysteries popular in the earlier part of the 20th century. Loosely based on Ten Little ******* (forgotten it ‘s PC title), except that at the drop of a body, the cast with few feelings of shock or sadness burst into song. Very funny lyrics which fitted the period and were well projected by the cast who had an excellent rapport with each other and the audience.
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Set – excellent, solid and very realistic representation of the hall, staircase and galleried landing of a large English country house in the 1930s. No waving flats here or doors which won’t open as in some ‘am- dram’ productions. Built to last – an amazing effort for a week’s production
Costumes – stylish with good wigs, again very much in period, even the shoes which often let down otherwise good period recreations
Special effects– very well co-ordinated with the sounds – lethal light switch, exploding staircase, booby trapped telephone – all great fun and presented with aplomb!
Acting and Singing – Generally, when drama societies present musicals they sometimes find it difficult to find sufficient actors who can sing to a high enough standard to put over what are often far from easy musical numbers. TTC is basically a drama society with some actors who can sing, as opposed to the Opera Societies who tend to have singers who can act a bit.
In this production the acting throughout was first rate with just the right amount of ‘ham’ .
The Singing – Ensembles great but solos a bit of a curate’s egg, mostly good but one or two had problems with intonation and projection – notable exceptions Jonathan Simmons and Freyana de Paoli as the young lovers who showed themselves very much at home in this genre with excellent all round skills of singing, dancing and acting.
Special Mentions.
Julie Thomas – outstanding as the redoutable Miss Tweed – the amateur sleuth - a figure of fun in the Margaret Rutherford tradition. Expertly played and very well sung and danced.
Stuart Turnbull – (Colonel Gilweather) lovely singing voice and good presence as the bluff Colonel – pity he was killed off so soon!
Ian Nethersell – obviously enjoyed himself as the lascivious caretaker and combined well with Nicky Burgess as the pert Maid
Direction - very professional and slick work as we have come to expect from Wesley Henderson Roe – wonderful comic invention in parts together with some delightful and fitting choreography from Melanie Edwards. Very supportive, yet unobtrusive , backing from Nic Luker (the MD) on keyboard and Neil de Havilland on Percussion.
A fun evening out in the best tradition of musicals at TTC.
Mary Stoakes
A Doll's House by Henrik Ibsen
Studio Production by Teddington Theatre Club
Hampton Hill Playhouse
4 March 2010
I write this comment on Susan Conte's production of Ibsen's powerful, forward-looking play written towards the end of the 19th century, on International Women's Day in 2010. What a struggle there has been in the intervening years for equality of the sexes. The director chose to set each act in different periods: the 1880s, 1950s and the present. Not only that, but she also decided to cast three different actresses in the central role. Interesting ideas, but what did they achieve? Perhaps she was making the political, feminist point that there is still a long way to go, as far as the updating is concerned.
I take issue with this treatment purely on dramatic grounds. This play is essentially about the growth of the central character, Nora. The whole play hangs on whether Nora, the doll-child and doll-wife will survive the searing domestic drama that has overtaken the household. Over the three days of Christmas she grows from her husband's playful little squirrel to full maturity as a woman who rejects her financial dependency on her husband and her subjugation to his will and finds the strength to stand on her own two feet.
By sharing the pivotal role between three actresses I found that the interesting process of her growing strength was dissipated and weakened. I should love to have seen any one of the three accomplished actresses carrying the role throughout the whole play and seen how either one of them portrayed the development of the character. As it was it was inevitable that each actress was measured against the others. The supporting actors remained the same, changing their clothes to point up the different periods of time. The final drama of Torvald's discovery of what Nora had been up to and his relief when he is left off the hook was less convincing in this day and age than it would have been in the stricter social code of the 1880s. The miracle that Nora hopes will happen to Torwald does not occur and so she leaves him.
One of my tests of how positive is Nora's decision to leave is how convincing is the closing of the front door behind her. In this I was not disappointed. Though I was dismayed to find the conniving Mrs Linde had infiltrated her way back into the household. This is certainly not in Ibsen's version of his play.
Congratulations to all three Noras - Charlotte Lonsdale, Angela Gibbins and Lauren Russell - all of whom were capable of carrying the whole part throughout, and to Paul Grimwood who played the overbearing but ultimately bewildered Torwald totally convincingly.
It was good to see this emotional domestic drama in the intimacy of the Studio at Hampton Hill Playhouse and thank you, Susan Conte, for bringing this wonderful play to our attention.
N.L.T.
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